Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Do the Frontrunner protective plates give much more protection than the ones already fitted to the Pajero? They seem very similar in design. I thought that the one for the sumpguard would be more sloped rather than square.

Is it a worthwhile upgrade? I intend to travel through Botswana and expect lots of sand.

The standard plates are sufficient, we went twice on guided tours through the Namib and it worked well - no need for extra plates unless you want to support the after sales market...

MR2-Blue wrote:The standard plates are sufficient, we went twice on guided tours through the Namib and it worked well - no need for extra plates unless you want to support the after sales market...

I absolutely disagree.

There is almost no vehicle on the market with protective plates that are actually sufficient for offroad use... and I'm not referring to sand and gravel roads. Just spend time on any but the easiest trails and your bashplates slowly get mangled.

Fit them first before you consider any other modifications. Perhaps if you only ever intend to do sand trails, maybe, but rarely is this all people do.

PS, Jorge, two trips to the Namib does not make you an expert and what is and what is not required for varying needs. I have done dozens of trails and I have seen bits of protection plate all over the place, broken diff housings etc.

A proper bash plate is the cheapest insurance available.

If you do any rocky stuff, it is a must. Sand, gravel roads and sandton asphalt does not justify it, though!

Guys - why don't you simply read the question:

Kennekam wrote:Do the Frontrunner protective plates give much more protection than the ones already fitted to the Pajero? They seem very similar in design. I thought that the one for the sumpguard would be more sloped rather than square.

Is it a worthwhile upgrade? I intend to travel through Botswana and expect lots of sand.

I referred only to sand and 2 trips along the dunes for multiple days at least gave me some "hard data" of experience the majority here doesn't have....but you're right, I'm no expert for any trails - and I don't intend to be.

Any after market plates are better than the paper plates that come with the car.

I got mine from FourFours and will do it again.

KaiV do you have a pic of the bash plate installed?

Even in the sand, when hitting steep dunes at speed, a front bash plate might be a good idea (to protect the intercooler better)?

Is the Frontrunner a good option? Or are there better ones? I am in Cape Town.

AFAIK, Charles Pierce from ForFours does bashplates for your vehicle as well. I think they are available through R&D Offroad.

PS, as Greg said even sand dunes can cause significant impact to bashplates. Mine were once pushed up a full 6-7cm after one misjudged dune climb. Although there is still masses of space above my front bashplates, other vehicles don't have that luxury.

Is it correct that the stadard from one is metal (thinnish) but the the centre one is plastic?